Cave of the Ancients
by SlayersFan132
Summary: Link meets a peculiar man in Kakariko Village, helps him out, and eventually ends up becoming great friends with him as darkness begins to envelope the known world. When both of them rejoin each other in the Lost World, they team up to stop the threat rising, hidden in the shadows...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Since my other stories are ending soon, I've decided to start a new one. This is a crossover between Slayers and the Legend of Zelda. The main characters are the ones introduced in this chapter. I will eventually have a Zelgadis/Lina and Link/Zelda pairing, including maybe a few others, but for now, we'll just start at the beginning, okay?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers or the Legend of Zelda.**

**CAVE OF THE ANCIENTS: CHAPTER 01.**

The metallic ring of swords clanging penetrates the air of a near-empty clearing, the two swordsmen within being the only exception. A few little kids linger at the edge of the woods, watching to see who will win and (among some of them) making bets and collecting Rupees. One child in particular seems to enjoy the battle most out of all of them, watching intently from the branch of a tree, whereas the rest of her friends prefer to remain on the ground.

Sure, the cloaked man is rather cute and charming at first glance, but so far she _much_ prefers the one in green, whom she has helped in the past. He has an almost elfin appearance, with light brown hair (almost blonde), brilliant blue eyes, and long, pointed ears.

At least, she knows that from personal experience. The two are moving so fast, it's as though they're fast-forwarding in time! The girl giggles to herself when she remembers that one of them has done such a thing. Her cute, emerald green hair, which she has been growing out for the past seven years, is tied back in a short ponytail today (because no matter how long she tries to get it, her hair just doesn't grow as fast as a Hylian's). Her eyes are the exact same color as her hair, down to the shade, and they flicker back and forth between both of them.

The second man could be Hylian, she decides, but even if he is, he dresses rather strangely to live in Hyrule...it makes her wonder if he even lives here, in this kingdom.

As far as she can tell, his ears are pointed, but something about him just doesn't match a Hylian's features. She doesn't have much to guess on, but she can just feel it. He is not related to the Hylians.

Finally she realizes that the battle is nearly over. The two blurs of beige and green slow down just enough for her to be able to pinpoint features. The cloaked one, indeed, has pale blue skin and...what looks like pale grey pebbles on his face.

The Hylian, unfazed by his appearance, pauses for just a second, fairly, as his opponent flinches nervously at all the pairs of eyes on his features. But however long the Hylian allows him to get used to it, he doesn't fight the same, much more tense, and is soon bested, his sword flung into the air and driven deep into the ground. He makes some sort of noise, as if his sword was the one thing that protected him from all those stares and, in some cases, glares.

Well, of course he wouldn't know that those glares are from the children who voted for him to win, so of course he's going to flinch away from them.

"Congratulations," he says to his opponent. "You win, fair and square. I let my nerves get the best of me, and then came my downfall." He holds out a hand to the Hylian, and the other man shakes it politely.

With that, the man cloaked in beige begins to walk away, and after a few seconds, the green one calls, "Hey, can I get your name?"

He turns back with surprise etched on his already stony features. Finally, with one corner of his mouth twitching upwards, he replies, "It's Zelgadis. And yours?"

"Link. Maybe we'll meet again sometime. We'll go to a more private area and have a rematch, see who's truly the best swordsman," Link calls.

The girl thinks she sees a true smile on his face, even when he turns away from Link, waving a peace sign casually behind him. After he's gone, she leaps down from the tree without hardly making a sound.

"Hey, Link! That was great!" she calls cheerfully. "It must've been really cool to finally fight someone your skill level, right?"

Link nods with just as much cheer. "It was. I've never really fought anyone quite like that, no matter how long I've searched. I'm glad I met him, Saria."

Saria tilts her head cutely. "How did you meet him?"

"Oh, I was visiting Kakariko Village, and I happened to bump into him at the potion shop. He was apparently searching for something to help out one of his friends, and he looked pretty down about it. I went with him to see if I could help in any way," Link explains. "It turns out she was really sick with something, so I gave her a Health potion, and we visited the doctor down by Lake Hylia. He gave her a remedy, and she was cured instantly."

Saria, back to the tree branch, swings her legs a few times before thinking to say, "Wow, that was really nice of you, Link! I can't believe you helped someone you didn't even know the name of!"

He shrugs. "Well, I _am_ the Hero of Time, after all. I didn't earn that title from ignoring others' needs, did I? Besides, if we didn't get her to the doctor, she would have died. It was the right thing to do."

Saria gives him a bright smile. "That sounds wonderful of you! And he seemed like he needed a bit more cheer in his life anyway; I'm glad you met him, too!"

"Thanks, Saria."

Finally the other kids, after finishing their money sorting, come up to Link and congratulate him, although some of them look rather grumpy about it. As the triplets are leaving, Saria can hear one of them muttering, "Why couldn't Link have been a little slower?" She giggles as Link looks after them in bewilderment.

"Gee," he mumbles. "Next time a keaton wants to play with them, you won't see me there to help."

Saria giggles once more before taking him by the hand and leading him through the forest. "Come on, I bet you're starving after something like that," she says, walking into her house and pulling some nuts and berries out of her cabinet.

His face flushes when his stomach growls affirmation. He mutters sheepishly, "Well, I guess..."

The Kokiri continues to giggle as she chops up the nuts and makes some juice from a few of the larger and better-tasting berries. "Link, you're priceless," she exclaims through bursts of laughter.

* * *

Walking down the twisting paths of the Lost Woods, Zelgadis still can't believe how kind Link was to him. No, not just to him, but to Amelia as well, who was sick with what must have been a deadly disease.

At times like these, Zelgadis wonders how his home could be so judgmental and yet still have Hyrule as its neighbor. It just doesn't seem right to him. Everywhere he has gone in this kingdom, the people have been kind and understanding. Back where he lives, some have simply ignored him, as he prefers, but others make snide comments behind his back as he walks away. It isn't kind, but no one ever seems to be kind over there, maybe because they don't have a Hero of Time to help them out with Mazoku and demons.

_Such as myself,_ he thinks bitterly. No wonder no one ever seems to trust him. Over the years, word of what he's made up of has spread throughout the land, and demon attacks are becoming more and more frequent.

Now, ordinarily, Zelgadis is a very reliable man, albeit somewhat unpredictable at times. He trusts his friends, and he communicates kindly with other people, no matter how harshly they may treat him. They just never seem to trust him. They think he'll turn on the human race, ignoring how many times he has fought Dark Lords side-by-side with the great Lina Inverse herself.

To be truthful, it angers him every once in a while, and sometimes he'll vent that frustration to his friends, who understand him for who he is, and not what he appears to be. Because no matter how demonic his eyes may seem, or however cruel he may act sometimes, he is a good man at heart, and that's really all that matters.

"Mister Zelgadis, there's nothing wrong with the way you look," Amelia said one day as Zelgadis sighed in the chair beside her.

"Yes, Amelia, you've told me that hundreds of times, but that doesn't make anyone treat me differently, does it?"

"Well, maybe if you don't let them know it bothers you..."

"That's exactly what I _do_, Amelia!" Zelgadis snapped, losing his temper completely. "I act as though it doesn't bother me when it really does! Did I betray any emotion when that child asked me if I was a monster yesterday, Amelia? Did I?!" He took a deep breath, regretting his words when Amelia flinched away. But he just couldn't help it; while his face remained stoic, his insides burned with rage and...maybe something else, too.

He doesn't remember when the tears started falling, but he knows that Amelia was soon at his side, trying to tell him that it was all right.

Finally, with sobs still causing him to tremble all over, Zelgadis whispered, "Amelia, I...it's just that...I really wish...I wish that I was normal...Why did Rezo have to...?"

The princess' eyes watered, and it took her a long time to calm herself enough to talk to him again. "Mister Zelgadis, no matter what other people may say, you will always have a special place in my heart, okay? You're no monster to me. In fact, I think even Mister Gourry may be more of a monster than you are, and he's one of the kindest people I know."

Reassured by this, Zelgadis had stayed safely inside the walls of the castle with her, offering help where he could, and slowly, the rest of Seyruun began to trust him as well. When Amelia grew ill, the whole of Seyruun was devastated, and looked not to Phil, but to Zelgadis for help. And so began his quest to find a medicine for her, bringing the green-clad Link back in order for him to help.

Their battle had really begun with Link casually saying, "Nice sword you've got there. Can I have a look at it?"

Zelgadis, although rather hesitantly, pulled his sword out of his scabbard and let Link look at it. They hadn't even known each other's names at the time, and yet they acted as though they had known each other for years. _Brotherly instinct,_ Lina had insisted. _Remember how quickly you and Gourry bonded?_

Now, traveling down the road to wherever it may lead, Zelgadis continues to roam Hyrule, admiring the lush greenery, whereas overseas everything seems to be either destroyed or burning down. Nothing is peaceful over there anymore; no one trusts even their next-door neighbor that they've known forever.

Even Amelia's cheerful spirit seems to have dulled with the most recent demon attack on Taforashia, one of Seyruun's closest allies, in which their king was killed. Now Pokota, one of their allies in the battle against Shabranigdo, has become king, and stepped up to the job just in time to get bombarded with angry complaints.

Zelgadis shakes his head. Their country is turning for the worse.

Trying to remove these thoughts from his mind, he darts up a tree to scan his surroundings. He's still in the Lost Woods...he wonders why that is, when he should be out by now.

Oh, of course. He's lost, isn't he?

Zelgadis chants under his breath, casting a spell to help guide him through the forest. If he's lucky, it won't be too long before he finds the exit, but these woods don't exactly welcome visitors.

"Are you lost?"

Zelgadis looks up to the very same tree he was just in, where a blonde Kokiri girl is staring down at him with huge blue eyes. His eyes narrow. "Not particularly. I have my ways. Who are you?"

"My name is Kiera. And if you think you know where you are, then you're definitely lost." She leaps down from her perch near the top of the tree. "So, since I gave you my name, you should be obliged to give me yours."

He doesn't like this girl. She's too cocky, much like he used to be back when he was human. He decides to humor her. "Tell me, then, Kiera, where I am, if you know."

"Oh, that's simple. You've wandered into the Deep Woods, where there are dangerous monsters and things. I'm actually surprised you're not a Stalfos yet. There must be something the forest likes about you," the girl comments.

Zelgadis shudders slightly, wondering what that must be and not liking the thought at all. Kiera seems to notice, and she smiles in a much too cheery way, almost as if she knows something he doesn't.

"In case you're wondering," she tells him, "it's not what you think it is that the forest likes about you. It's something...different. But, anyway, do you want me to lead you out of here? After this little occurrence, the forest should like you enough to keep you from getting lost, but right now is an exception."

He sighs. "Very well."

She takes his hand and begins to walk through the forest, and Zelgadis begins to like her even less. Her hand is freezing cold, and the demeanor in which she wanders through the woods, gently brushing her fingertips upon the bark of the trees, is starting to unnerve him. Finally, she releases his hand, turns to look at him, and says, "We're about halfway there. Do you want to rest a bit?"

He doesn't trust her, but after his sword fight with Link, he truly _is_ tired, and it wouldn't hurt to sit down for a few minutes...but Zelgadis shakes his head and answers, "No, carry on."

She takes his hand with a slightly disappointed look on her face and begins to lead him through the forest again. At long last, they reach the edge of the forest, and Kiera once again releases his hand.

She looks up at him with pleading eyes and says cutely, "Promise you'll come back! Please?"

He doesn't reply, scanning the undergrowth. _Something is coming,_ he thinks when his ears prick to hear leaves rustle without the wind.

His theory proves correct when something leaps out of the bushes towards Kiera. "Look out!" he shouts, drawing his sword and moving the few inches in order to protect her. His steel blade rings loudly as he swings it through the wolfish figure.

Kiera whispers, "It's not dead, fool." Zelgadis looks back just in time to see her morph into something very similar to the Wolfos he just attacked.

"You know, I think the best thing to do right now would be to run, wouldn't it?" he asks somewhat calmly, parrying her clawed blow easily despite his fatigue.

"You fool," she snarls. "Don't you realize that my pack members are coming now to hunt you down? You'll never be able to outrun us, and our skin is like steel!"

"In all but a few places," he corrects her, slicing with his sword when she leaps at him to attack. Her wolf-like eyes widen as she shrivels up and explodes in a puff of purple smoke reminding Zelgadis vaguely of Xellos.

After this occurs, around five other Wolfos come out from the trees and snarl at him.

"That's it," he mutters. "Ray Wing!" As Zelgadis floats up and out of the forest, he feels something strike against his stone skin, creating sparks and setting the forest on fire. "Oh, how brilliant of you!" he calls. "Don't you know that stone against steel makes sparks?"

With that, he flies off as the sun begins to set in a crimson sky.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This is chapter two of Cave of the Ancients. Haha, what I love about this chapter is that I used the words 'slaying' and 'slain' in a paragraph that Zelgadis speaks in. I found it rather funny because he is a 'Slayer'. Well, anyway, please R&R.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Slayers or the Legend of Zelda.**

**CAVE OF THE ANCIENTS: CHAPTER 2.**

Link's pointed ears twitch. A howl pierces the air a split second later—the cry of a Wolfos, no doubt. The young Kokiri girl, Saria, flinches beside him, unused to the sound. Link shoots a glance down at her and says, "It's okay, Saria. It's too far to be dangerous to us."

But even before she says it, fear flashes in his features. Zelgadis was leaving the forest, and he was leaving just a few minutes ago.

"Oh, no! Zelgadis was leaving the forest; what if he's in danger?" Saria cries.

Link's fear reigns in. "No, Saria, he should be fine. His skin is made of stone; that's why he was careful not to harm me while we were fighting. I was more vulnerable to attack than he was, so—what in the—?!"

Something shoots out from the wall behind them. It looks like a hand, but it's moving so fast he can't be sure. It's surely evil; pitch black shadows are filling the air around it like poisoned water vapor.

Before Saria can cry his name, or try to help him, for that matter, the being grabs Link and drags him into the shadows.

* * *

Zelgadis has experienced something very similar to this. Some sort of hand appeared in midair through an inter-dimensional portal, swung out at him, and took him through it.

What he doesn't know is that the same thing just happened to Link. Wincing, the Hylian is getting to his feet, searching in his pocket for whatever he used on Amelia.

"Here, let me help," Zelgadis mutters, crouching beside him and casting Recovery. Link's pained features soften, and when he asks how Zelgadis did that, the chimera replies, "It's common where I come from. Spell-casting is a part of our daily lives. I thought you saw that."

"Well, no, not really. I was more looking at the destruction caused by—whoa. Look around."

Zelgadis, with a slight frown, glances vaguely at their surroundings. The walls are a dark, mournful grey, the skies are painted permanently a deep purple, and the floors are covered in withered vines and shrubs. "Where are we?" he breathes in restricted wonder. Surprisingly, a deep, echoing voice replies.

_"You are in the lost world."_

The two men draw their swords, prepared to back each other in a battle. "Who are you?" Link demands, glancing from one side to the other.

_"I? Why, I am nothing but a voice, programmed to answer certain questions and act as your guide."_

Link looks about to shout something else to the sky, but Zelgadis holds up a hand, readying his sword. "We don't have time for questions right now. Look." He points down a narrow alley, in which a shriveled corpse is moving towards them. Suddenly it lets out an ear-piercing scream, and Zelgadis cries out, holding his free hand to one of his long, pointed ears.

Link, however, used to the sound, takes one glance at his pained friend and shoots towards the Redead, slicing his sword clean through the monster. It disappears, and the green-clad Hylian hurries back to Zelgadis, who has fallen to his knees.

"Are you okay?!" he exclaims, holding out a hand.

"I...it...said something. To you," he whispers.

The booming voice from earlier begins to laugh. _"Being from a different land which has many quiet things, his people are more sensitive to sound, and because he's part demon, his hearing is even more advanced than ours. But I never imagined that he would be able to hear a monster speak."_

Link glares up at the sky and puts his hands on Zelgadis' shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asks more calmly, crouched in front of him and peering into his eyes.

Zelgadis glances at him, and his mouth opens and closes before he whispers, "It told you that 'he is coming back.' Who is 'he'?"

Link's eyes narrow dangerously. "Ganondorf," he replies, just as quiet as his companion. "I fought him...well, in technical terms, I fought him yesterday. To me, it was seven years ago. Princess Zelda used the power of the Seven Sages to seal him in the Sacred Realm. But if they say he's coming back..."

Zelgadis shakily rises to his feet, leaning heavily on Link's offered shoulder. "We have to stop this from happening. Whoever it is, I can tell that he's not friendly. Come on; I'm fine, we can keep moving."

"To where?" the Hylian asks.

Zelgadis points to the huge, dark castle that seems to be spreading its shadow over the entire land.

"Nice guess."

He shrugs.

* * *

"Princess Zelda! Princess Zelda!" Saria, for once, rushes down the halls of Hyrule Castle. Many guards look after her, but none follow, because they know that Saria is a Sage.

"Yes? What is it?" The elegant princess turns around, her silky dress fluttering in the warm breeze on the balcony. Her long, blonde hair is tied up in a braid over her shoulder.

"It's Link! I think he's been kidnapped!"

Zelda's calm demeanor evaporates quickly. "What?! How can this be? Link is the Hero of Time!"

"I think that's _why _he was kidnapped," the Kokiri pants. "And when I went to check on the man he battled with earlier today, Zelgadis, where he should have been on the road in Hyrule Field, he wasn't there. I think they're connected somehow!"

The princess sighs, sitting down on a heavily cushioned chair with beautiful embroidery. She invites Saria to sit in the chair opposite, and the winded Kokiri gladly does so.

"Please explain," Zelda says coolly. "From the beginning."

And so Saria begins to tell of Link and Zelgadis' skirmish.

* * *

About halfway down the path they started on, Link and Zelgadis run into more Redeads. Prepared this time, Zelgadis casts a wind barrier around himself to quiet the sound and helps Link defeat them.

When they are all finished, Zelgadis removes the barrier and says, "They all said the same thing. 'He is coming back.' I don't think this is giving us any more information than we already have."

"Well, at least the Stalfos helped out a little," Link mutters. "They told me I would die because Ganon still hates me for sealing him away."

Zelgadis smirks, slaying a Redead before it can open its mouth and continuing down the road with his companion. "Whatever the case," he says, "Ganondorf has been slain before, correct? That must mean that you can do it again, and besides, this time you have another swordsman at your side."

"I don't know..." Link murmurs. "I just have a feeling..."

"Well, I guess that feeling will have to wait. It looks like we've actually got something major," Zelgadis comments, placing a hand on his hip, sword held casually at his side, almost as though it's a decoration instead of a weapon. Link almost laughs when he thinks, _Oh, yes, that pose suits you very well._

He looks forward and his face grows serious. In front of them stands what looks to be a ghost of a woman.

"The incarnation of the hero who killed me and his little friend, eh?" she asks roughly. Her short hair seriously compliments her features, although the bangs seem like a definite ripoff of Zelgadis'.

"What do you mean?" Zelgadis demands. "Who are you?"

"I am Veran, Sorceress of Shadows. And by that, I mean I will kill Link by using you." The ghost flies straight into Zelgadis, whose eyes widen for a split second.

He whispers something, and for a moment the air fills with a brilliant flash of light, which quickly dims.

Veran is thrown out violently, and she hisses, "_Who are you?!_"_  
_

Lifting his sword, although wincing slightly, he replies, "I don't believe you have the authority to ask my name when you just tried to possess me. Are you ready, Link?"

The almost-blonde smirks, and he, too, raises his sword. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Veran's ghost form never stood a chance. Before she can attempt to possess Link, the two charge at her, and together they slice straight through her flickering form, and she yelps before evaporating into nothing but a small speck, which Link blows away.

"So," he begins to ask, sitting down to rest his back against a withered tree. "How did you know she'd try something like that?"

Zelgadis puts away his sword and leans against the tree, crossing his arms. He closes his eyes and replies, "I kinda figured that, being a ghost, she would have the power to possess someone. I never thought she would _try _to possess me, though, so for a moment there she caught me by surprise. A moment later and she would have gotten me. Luckily, however, I knew what she was, and was able to cast an exorcism spell on myself." He lets out a breath. "It hurt—a lot, might I add—but it was better than letting her possess me, wasn't it?"

Link is still curious. "Why would an exorcism spell hurt you?"

"I'm part demon, you see. I'm a chimera. It enhances my vision and hearing, as well as my speed and magic proficiency, but on the downside, it also means that whenever I get hit with a spell even as simple as Purification, or when I cast something like that, it injures me internally," Zelgadis explains. "I never really show it around my friends, but...well, that's what happens. Since we usually fight powerful Mazoku, or monsters, the Ra-Tilt is my go-to spell. But I can feel the pain it should inflict, and so it surprises me when it doesn't work."

"Why don't you use different magic?"

Zelgadis chuckles. "White magic is stuff like healing, and curing, and exorcisms. Shamanism includes the Ra-Tilt, but I also use other offensive spells. And I can't cast black magic."

Now Link is seriously interested. "Why's that?"

"Like I said, I'm part demon." Zelgadis launches into another explanation with an amused smirk on his face. "If a monster or demon uses a black magic spell which isn't their own, without being powerful enough, they would die. See, each and every Mazoku believes they are strong. If they didn't think they were strong, they would cease to exist. Likewise, if they called on another Mazoku's power to cast a spell, that would force them to believe they weren't strong enough to do it themselves. Therefore, they would die. A demon is very similar to such, although I don't think I would die if I tried something like that. I would probably just be mortally wounded." He opens an eye to glance over at Link. "Is that all?"

The Hylian laughs. "Yes, Zelgadis-sensei."

"Then we should get moving. The sooner we get over to that castle, the sooner we can get back to where we belong. I'm sure everyone you know is panicking by now, since you're such an important figure."

"Nah, I bet Zelda's keeping them calm. She's just as important as I am, if not more. Not only is she the princess, she's also one of the Seven Sages. And other than that, I've been gone for extended periods of time before. Just...never grabbed by some creepy hand." Link's face flushes, and Zelgadis chuckles. "Yeah you're probably right. I bet they're going mad."

* * *

That night, Zelgadis places up barriers and offers to keep watch, just in case. Link gladly lets him (after all, Link is a well-known sleep-lover) and settles down on the bare ground, falling asleep immediately.

Zelgadis stares at him for a while. Link is a good man, he decides. He seems to only care about other people, never himself. In other words, he and Zelgadis are exactly the same and yet polar opposites. Where Link cares about everyone but himself, Zelgadis mainly just cares about himself. Where Zelgadis is confident, Link is unsure of himself, and vice versa. It's almost like they were meant to meet, like all their problems would be solved once they spent enough time with each other.

_Well, all but one problem,_ Zelgadis thinks grimly. After searching the world over, he hasn't found a cure for his chimeric condition, and has finally stopped searching for it. His friends met him with sympathy, but he knows that they were relieved he wasn't obsessed with it anymore, and that he would be free more often.

Done with his recollections for the day, Zelgadis leans back against the tree just as Link did earlier that day and resumes his watch.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey, hey! This is chapter 3 of Cave of the Ancients, in case you're wondering (lol). Please have fun reading. I'm not exactly sure what Zelda's personality would be, because she has so many different ones, so I made her kind of snobby and yet still kind and regal. Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Zelgadis, Link, Zelda, or wherever they come from, so please don't sue me (then again, they could just sue me anyway).**

**CAVE OF THE ANCIENTS: CHAPTER 3.**

Rather early that morning (for Link, anyway), Link wakes up to find Zelgadis already standing up and buckling his sword to his belt.

"I thought you were coming," he jokes.

"What time is it?"

"Dawn. That's really all I know so far. The sun isn't very...well, traceable."

Link laughs and stands, brushing dried leaves out of his hair before he, too, attaches his sword to his back, placing his shield over it.

"Why, exactly, do you fight with a shield?" Zelgadis asks in mild curiosity.

Link looks up from the supplies he is currently preparing. "My skin isn't made of stone."

"Well, neither is Gourry's, and you're about the same skill level as he is. Is there a better reason for carrying that around?" He gestures to Link's giant blue shield currently strapped to his back.

"Magical attacks. Easy to block with this kind of shield. You know, just in case there isn't a sorcerer around here?" he jokes dryly.

Zelgadis tilts his head slightly sideways. "Well, if you're ready to go, I can remove these barriers now."

Link nods, and together they set out, unknowing of what's happening in Hyrule but sure that what they have to do for now is head towards that castle...

* * *

Zelda hurries through the gleaming hallways of Hyrule Castle. The sky is unusually dark, and the sun is blazing crimson. This can't be good.

Which just leads to the dream she had last night, in which two shadowed figures fought together against what must have been Ganondorf, the former king of the Gerudo tribe. But this time...this time, Ganondorf was different. He seemed less angry and more cautious.

Zelda certainly doesn't enjoy her prophetic nightmares, generally in which she wakes up screaming, with cold sweat trickling down her neck. But she knows that she was given this gift for a reason, and this time she's prepared for them.

She sweeps through the entrance hall and out of the castle, telling a runner to get her horse. A few minutes later, he comes back with the white mare, and Zelda rides out of Castle Town, hurrying towards the Kokiri Forest.

As she is riding towards it, however, the air seems to have another idea, something along the lines of, "No, I think you're supposed to come with me."

Zelda barely lets out a shriek before the huge black gap in the air produces a disembodied hand and pulls her through, and as she's going, she can see her mare stopping suddenly and beginning to look around.

* * *

Zelgadis looks up from the Bokoblin he just decapitated and mutters, "Something is wrong."

"What?" Link asks, currently murdering a Chu-Chu.

"I don't know. Something just feels wrong. It might have something to do with Hyrule."

The green-clad hero sighs, putting away his sword, and they stop beside a very evil-looking lake, which they know by now not to drink from. There was a poor, poor Tektite that happened to step onto it...

Link starts a fire and pulls out some dried berries and such. "What do you mean by that?"

Zelgadis rolls his eyes. "Didn't I just tell you? I don't know. I don't know everything."

"Well, you sure seem like you know everything. Maybe it's just in the way you talk, but I get the impression you're a very knowledgeable guy," the Hylian replies with a shrug.

Zelgadis sighs. "When you spend twenty years searching for a cure for something like this" —he gestures to himself— "you get pretty smart."

Link looks pretty sympathetic after this. He opens his mouth as though to say something, then seems to think better of it.

Zelgadis shoots him a small, somewhat sheepish smile, muttering, "Don't worry; it's not your fault. My family is just naturally crazy." Suddenly his ears prick, and seconds later Link hears it too.

"IT'S A SPIDER! IT'S A SPIDER! EEEEEEEEEEEK! SOMEONE HELP ME, PLEEEEAAAASE!"

Hysteric screams are heard from around a hundred yards ahead, and then Princess Zelda comes into view, being chased by what is apparently a very large spider.

"Oh, not this again..." Link mutters, drawing his sword and slicing through the spider as it passes by.

"'Again?'" Zelgadis asks as it disappears in a poof of purple smoke, raising an eyebrow.

"She's not good with spiders," the Hylian replies as Zelda runs towards him, sobbing hysterically.

"Spider...giant spider...not good for health..."

Link sighs. "Hey, Zelda? The spider's dead. You can stop freaking out now."

The crying immediately stops, and Zelda looks up. "Link?" ("Does this mean she just randomly hugged someone she didn't recognize?" Zelgadis sweatdrops.) "Oh, by the goddesses, Link, you've been terrifying everyone! I was going to check out the place it happened when...I came here," the princess exclaims almost angrily ("We are here to grieve over the memory of the giant spider, which had the Courage to attack Princess Zelda..."). She finally seems to notice that there's another person here.

"Hello," Zelgadis says just before she points out the obvious.

"Your skin is blue."

Much facepalming ensues.

Zelgadis sighs. "Yes, I noticed." However, he remembers not to be too sarcastic with her, considering she's the princess of Hyrule, and so he bows and introduces himself. "I am Zelgadis Greywords of Seyruun. May I ask your name?" Although he knows it already, it's common courtesy to ask.

"I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule." She, too, seems to regain her composure. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Saria of the Kokiri mentioned that you almost won against Link. Is that correct?"

Zelgadis' pale blue cheeks flush slightly. "Well, I wouldn't say I almost won. He's definitely the superior swordsman."

Link laughs, "I only won because I'm not as sensitive to stares."

The princess' mouth seems to twitch upwards, but it may be a trick of the light. "Is that so? Whatever the case, do you two know why we are here?"

The green-clad hero of Hyrule elbows Zelgadis just enough for him to feel it. Likewise, the chimera shoots an amused glare at him and starts to explain.

"We both came when some sort of monster appeared through an inter-dimensional portal, which is basically a gap between both the physical and Astral plane. After we met up, something told us that 'he is coming back.' Link figured that that meant Ganondorf," Zelgadis informs her.

"But what told you that Ganondorf is coming back?" Zelda asks in shock.

The two swordsmen exchange a glance, and Link takes on the explanation. "Well, at first there was a...a voice, coming from up in the sky. It told us that we are in the 'lost world,' whatever that is." Zelda shifts uncomfortably, and Link continues to explain. "A Redead showed up, and...well, this'll be hard to explain...Zel, how about you take it from here?"

The beige-cloaked chimera, who is leaning against a ruined building, sighs, but begins to speak again. "When that Redead shrieked, I could understand what it was trying to say. That 'voice' from earlier mentioned that, being from a quiet land, our hearing is sensitive, and because I'm...well, 'blue,' as you put it...my hearing is even more advanced than yours is. So, not only do the Redead's shrieks bother me considerably more than they bother Hylians, I can also understand what they are trying to convey to Link."

"Stalfos, too," Link adds. "And really any other monster. The Stalfos said something about how Ganondorf is still mad at me for helping seal him away. He did say that when he got out he would hunt down my descendants...I guess he just has to settle with me. I know he was hoping to feast on Descendant Souffle, but ah, well."

Zelda smiles. "I can see you two go together well. Is there any place safe for a princess here?"

"No," both of them immediately reply. Zelgadis continues to say, "We've fought what must be thousands of monsters just within a day of being here." A thought seems to occur to him. "Actually, now that I think about it, Princess, how long has it been in Hyrule?"

Zelda looks surprised. "It's been two days since you both disappeared."

"I see. It seems that time passes twice as fast in Hyrule as it does here in...whatever this place is."

"Lorule," the princess murmurs.

Both swordsmen look at her in surprise. "Come again?"

"This land is the land of Lorule. It was lost about ten years ago when the princess, Hilda, passed away." Zelda looks somewhat depressed as she looks around. "You see, back when Lorule was a safe and beautiful place, there were portals that brought the lands together. The first portal which appeared was my bedroom mirror, and Hilda was the one who came through. She didn't know where she was or what was happening, but she knew that I was friendly, and so we began to visit each other. Only when the other portals started appearing did we reveal that we had known about it from the beginning. My father didn't approve, and he sealed each and every one of the portals—except the one in my room, which he didn't know about. Hilda and I continued to meet in secret, and one day, she became ill. She didn't feel like playing with me anymore, and when I asked the healer, he said that she was dying because she had used the portals too much." The elegant princess of Hyrule looks almost as though she's going to cry. However, she regains control of herself and finishes. "The next day, when I visited through her mirror, I saw the queen crying at her bedside. She grew angry at me for causing what I did not know would be caused, and I ran back through the portal. The queen tried to follow, but I...I didn't know. Just after she had walked into Hilda's mirror, I broke mine, and she was trapped in there forever." Zelda starts to sob, but still she continues to tell them. "Through my mirror, I was still able to watch what happened in Lorule. I watched as the castle was invaded, and the last thing I saw of the kingdom was Hilda's mirror being thrown into a fire by some sort of monster."

Link gently brushes the tears from Zelda's cheeks, and Zelgadis looks on in respectful silence. It's obvious that Link is very close to the princess, closer than anyone else could possibly get to her.

With a whisper of, "I'll go on ahead," Zelgadis starts to trek up the gently sloping hill, checking for any sign of monsters. Link follows a bit behind with the princess a few paces in front of him, and they march on like that.

Well, until the Moblins show up, that is.

Zelgadis can hardly call them Moblins. Just their size is impressive, even compared to how tall Gourry is. He can't help but feel a flash of panic. How will they take these down?

But then he remembers that there's a princess behind him. A princess and soon-to-be queen of Hyrule.

As he is remembering this, however, the staff of an arrow sprouts from the first Moblin's chest, and it freezes solid.

"Now! Attack!" Zelda calls as Link starts upwards. Soon more Moblins are freezing over, and Zelgadis wastes no time in destroying the first few Moblins while Princess Zelda circles the area, continuing to shoot arrows from Link's bow.

"She's great with a bow," Zelgadis comments to Link when an arrow zips straight past his ear and hits another Moblin in the eye.

"I know, right?" Link replies, bringing his sword down on a numbed Moblin head. "There's a reason so many men are looking to marry her soon."

Zelgadis raises an eyebrow, casting a Freeze Arrow spell to freeze a few Moblins that were approaching the princess. "Oh, really?" he asks with a smirk. "And do you happen to be one of those men?"

Link makes a _pfft_ sound and exclaims, "Me? The Hero of Time? No way; I'm just meant to save Hyrule and maybe the world from destruction. If I even live long enough, there's no way I'd marry Zelda. It would feel too fake."

An arrow whizzes less than an inch from Zelgadis' eye and impales yet another Moblin's heart. "Really, you should just give her your bow."

"Yeah, but she's got her own bow. She's even better with that one. She could probably shoot an arrow through your hair and hit a falling apple from a tree branch if she really tried."

"I don't doubt it," Zelgadis replies, whipping around and calling, "Fireball!"

Zelda looks over at him when the Moblin that was towering over her burns to death. "Thank you, Zelgadis!" she calls.

He waves it off, continuing to attack the Moblins. Zelda switches to fire arrows after seeing Zelgadis' example.

Soon all the Moblins are gone, and all three companions are panting and exhausted. Nevertheless, all of them keep walking until they can't walk any farther.

Zelgadis begins to heal Link's injuries, and Zelda watches in awe for a few seconds. Finally she asks, "But what's going to keep us from being attacked in the middle of the night?"

Both chimera and Hylian exchange an amused glance, and Zelgadis starts to speak. "You see, Princess, over in our land, magic is a common thing. Our magic is divided into three parts: white, black, and Astral. I specialize in Astral, or shamanistic, magic, which composes of the four elements of nature: fire, water, earth, and wind." He crosses his arms and closes his eyes, still with an amused smile on his face. "I mainly use wind spells, and those wind spells can be both destructive and protective. My wind barriers should do the trick. First, however, we need to work on healing any injuries. I trust you remained unharmed?"

"Yes, I am fine," the princess replies.

"You're sure? Their spears are sharp; I'm pretty sure even I got a few scratches."

When Zelda shoots a glare at him, he holds up his hands in surrender and turns back to Link's cuts and bruises. After a few minutes, Zelgadis lets out a breath and begins tending to his own. He takes considerably longer to do this, and when Zelda asks why, he says, "My skin is made of stone. It's harder to heal because it's...well, thicker, if you would say that."

"Oh."

After that short conversation, the small area they're occupying is completely silent, other than the faint, shimmery sound Zelgadis' healing spell is making.

Finally, it fizzles and goes out. Zelgadis takes a deep breath and begins to chant under his breath. Slowly, wind begins to blow and a pale, slightly illuminated barrier appears in the air around them.

Zelda looks around before standing and walking over to the edge, reaching out a hand to place it on the barrier. She gasps when she sees light particles gather around her hand, and suddenly jumps back.

"It...it..."

Zelgadis smiles, although his expression is now weary. He's still standing somewhat casually beside Link. "Wind barriers tend to shock things if they get too close. That's why they're the perfect protection if all of your party members are asleep." He reopens his eyes, and his expression changes suddenly into seriousness. "They won't do against anything like a Demon Lord, though, so someone would have to keep watch. To my understanding, Princess, you have been kidnapped multiple times by powerful beings. My barriers will not keep Ganondorf or someone similar from getting in. Link and I will in turn keep watch, if that's okay with you."

Her expression remains almost completely neutral, but Zelgadis, knowing emotions such as annoyance quite well, can see the emotion in her eyes. Zelda murmurs, "Very well. Just so long as I'm not kidnapped _again_."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Man, I made Zelgadis almost evil in this chapter...Oh, well. I would be angry, too, I guess. Anyway, this is chapter 4 of a double-update. Please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers or the Legend of Zelda.**

**CAVE OF THE ANCIENTS: CHAPTER 4.**

This time, Link offers to take first watch, and by the time Zelda has fallen asleep, Zelgadis has just unbuckled his sword from his belt, moving rather slowly.

"Hey, Zel? Something wrong?" Link asks with a great amount of concern in his voice. Since they met, he has adopted Lina's nickname for Zelgadis, and Zelgadis finds it rather humorous.

The chimera releases another breath. "I don't think I've managed to completely heal myself yet, but I'm not exactly sure where it's coming from...it might just be that my ears are still ringing and it's giving me a headache, but it could be more than that."

Link sighs. "And just when I run out of health potions. They could have done the trick, but now that we can't get out of here, I can't visit the potions shop to buy more."

"It's nothing to worry about right now," he insists. "Goodnight, and be careful."

* * *

About halfway through that night, Link looks over at Zelgadis, who, at first glance, looks perfectly calm and rested. But...now that he looks closer, the stones he has as eyebrows are narrowed close to his visible eye, and his eyelashes flicker every few seconds. Occasionally he'll twitch, as though trying to fight against something.

The Hylian's face shows more concern than any words could. Zelgadis is having a nightmare.

The last thing Link expects Zelgadis to do is talk in his sleep.

"...please...Rezo...tell me..." His voice is a pained, near-silent whisper.

After this, Link stares up at the stars and thinks, _If Zelgadis has dreams like this, I can't imagine what his life was like..._

Finally the green-clad hero sighs and wakes him up, not wanting to let Zelgadis suffer through another second's worth of nightmares, and although he doesn't know that Link knows, Zelgadis gladly accepts the job offering.

"Zelgadis?"

"Yes?"

"Um...who's 'Rezo'?"

He flinches at the name, staring over at Link for a long time before asking, "Was I talking in my sleep?"

Link laughs nervously. "Well, you see, I just happened to look over at you, and then you started muttering things, and you looked..." His face softens from 'caught little kid' to 'worried best friend.' "...you looked like you were having a nightmare, Zel. Seeing you look so afraid...it just...it's not right."

Zelgadis sighs gently, almost daintily. The moonlight glints off of his stony features, softening it to look almost humane. After what feels like hours of silence, he finally responds. "Well, it's normal by now. In fact, it's not as scary anymore as it used to be, back when I first got like this. It's gotten a lot better. I used to wake up screaming. When I partnered with Lina and Gourry, I used to wake them up almost every night."

_~Flashback~_

_"Zelgadis, please tell us what's wrong," Lina whispered one night, which happened to be the night before Shabranigdo was resurrected. After they went to sleep, Lina and Gourry were awakened by what must have been screaming. Zolf and Rodimus still slept in their bedrooms, all the way down the hall, separate from the rest of them._

_Zelgadis explained his dream, albeit somewhat hesitantly, to his companions who would become his best friends after the death of his current ones._

_Lina's look was unusually gentle. "Zelgadis, I'm so sorry..."_

_"No, Lina, there's nothing to say about it. Besides, it's a recurring nightmare. Every night, without fail..."_

_The redhead pulled him into a rare hug, which was made even rarer by the fact that Zelgadis hugged her back. Gourry didn't say a word about it, but his expression told volumes to the chimera._

_They became ever closer after that night, which helped greatly in their battle the next day._

_~End of flashback~_

Link nods slowly. "I can understand that. After my battle against Ganondorf, I had nightmares for years. Maybe your memory is just better."

"Or maybe something worse happened to me than to you," Zelgadis hisses bitterly, clenching his fist and closing his eyes. After a few moments, however, he regains his usual calm. "I still haven't answered your question, have I? Rezo is...no, _was_...my great-grandfather. He was born blind, his eyes sealed shut. He was obsessed with finding a cure for his eyes, and so he studied white magic, going around the land creating miracles. He cured other people's blindness, but he could never cure his own. He went insane trying to find a cure after studying both black magic and shamanism. Eventually he went to his last resort: the Philosopher's Stone. It was said to be able to resurrect Shabranigdo, the great Demon Lord himself. It was at that time that I worked for Rezo, being in my chimera condition and hating him bitterly but unable to see what his true intention was. He met Lina, who had obtained the Stone, and convinced her that I was his enemy." At this point Zelgadis is starting to get worked up again, shutting his eyes tight as though he could seal the past away. "We ran into each other, however, and after kidnapping her I managed to convince Lina that we were allies."

"Wait, kidnapping her made her trust you?" Link asks, baffled.

Zelgadis chuckles. "Oh, no way. I was the one to kidnap her, yes, but I was also the one to release her."

"How does that work?"

"I'm not quite sure how a woman's mind works. If I was, we men would have long surpassed women, wouldn't we?"

The Hylian laughs. "Maybe we would, but who could be sure? Women do seem to rule over the world these days, don't they? Zelda has ruled Hyrule alone for years, even without her father."

His companion shrugs. "Whatever the case, after we became allies and rejoined Gourry, we went to Rezo's tower with..." He bites his lip. "With...I-I'm sorry, I seem to be a bit more emotional than usual. It might be because of the late hour, or maybe shadows simply provoke fear in people's hearts." He clears his throat and restarts. "We went to Rezo's tower with my other two acquaintances, and discovered that Shabranigdo was concealed not in the tower Rezo resided in, but sealed in his eyes. Lina defeated him with her most powerful spell, the Giga Slave. Several years later, we discovered that Rezo managed to contain his soul in a special jar he made. We sought to destroy it, and Rezo told us that he no longer wanted the piece of Shabranigdo sealed in his eyes to remain on this planet. He told us that his wish was not to see, but to destroy the Demon Lord once and for all. Lina once again used her Giga Slave to defeat the ghost of Shabranigdo, although it was a risky gamble. Everyone except herself was nearing death at that point, as we had all risked everything to make sure that Lina remained unharmed."

Link looks surprised. "Was Shabranigdo able to harm you?"

Zelgadis actually laughs this time. "Oh, of course. Your land is much safer than mine is. I may not be vulnerable to swords and physical things very much, but when it comes to magical attacks I'm weaker than even you would be, I'm sure. Shabranigdo is a magical being who chooses to occupy the physical plane. I don't know why this is, as he would surely defeat us more easily there, but he's certainly magical, and also has magically amplified strength on his side. He was able to crush most of my ribs quite easily."

"Then how did you—?"

"I got quite a bit of help from Amelia, as well as my own healing spell. It wasn't that hard to heal, although getting the Recovery spell through my damaged stone skin to heal the more vital points proved a bit tricky. We had to heal the outside before being able to heal the inside, you see, and we couldn't use Lina's help for that because she was already so drained, and she didn't know about it, either. Really, it didn't matter much, as long as one piece of Shabranigdo was gone forever. That meant that he was, as a whole, one-seventh weaker."

Link sighs. "Okay, that should be enough explanation." He looks over at the stirring princess and adds, "Zelda's waking up. It appears we spent a bit too long talking, huh?"

Zelgadis gives him an extremely rare, genuine smile that isn't twisted by any dark humor. In the next few days it'll be noted as even more rare, although no one quite knows that yet.

It starts out with an explosion in the distance, which only Zelgadis knows the cause of, as an angry, high-pitched voice screams, "WHERE THE HECK AM I?!"

Zelda immediately jumps awake, terrified at the loud awakening.

And none other than Lina Inverse, in all her boiling, deadly anger, comes marching over the horizon, shriveling up the grass as she walks by, her ruby red hair blazing in the light of the rising sun. Apparently she spots something blue and glinting, shining because of her own light, because she seems to grow even angrier.

"ZELGADIS! I'M SURE YOU HAVE ANSWERS! WHERE THE HECK AM I? TELL ME _NOW_!" she shrieks, her voice growing more and more high-pitched by the second. When she gets to them, she grabs him by the front of the shirt and yells in his face, "SO HELP ME, YOU BETTER GIVE ME ANSWERS FOR WHY YOU DISAPPEARED AND WORRIED ALL OF US TO DEATH!"

"Lina, if you want me to give you answers, please don't make me deaf first," Zelgadis replies calmly, unflinching in her burning rage, unlike the two Hylians, who are busy backing slowly away. Lina shoots one glare at them and immediately they're sitting obediently in front of her like two extremely terrified students in the professor's room.

Finally Lina sighs, taking a deep breath, and her fury-fueled aura dissipates. She releases Zelgadis and backs off, relaxing into a rather casual pose very much like his own.

"Okay, start explaining."

He obeys, explaining everything major that has happened ever since they came here, how they came here, and a probability of why they came, finishing with a question of how she got here.

"Me?" Lina asks, looking slightly disoriented. "I got here by a much different way than you did. I was over in Seyruun, visiting up on Amelia and looking for you. I heard Amelia scream from her bedroom, where she was resting up from her previous illness, and ran towards her. After I got there, I saw that a giant black portal had opened up in her full-body mirror, and someone had come through it. He looked...just like Link, actually, except he was wearing all black, and...he had the eyes of a killer. Of course, Amelia and her father immediately assumed it was yet another assassination plot, so they wanted to break the mirror, but I wanted to see where he had come from. I leaned over and pressed my hand against it, but then I was sucked in, and when Amelia went back into her room, she must have broken it. I was just lucky that I had gone through already, because it disappeared just after I got through."

Zelda shakily whispers, "Do you mean that...not only did Dark Link appear in another princess' bedroom, but portals started opening in your kingdom, just like they did mine?"

Lina nods just as unsteadily, and suddenly she staggers and falls right into Zelgadis, wincing with the impact.

"Lina, are you okay?" he asks softly. There's a slight tone of worry in his voice, which is masked by major embarrassment and awkwardness.

"I-I think that portal may have...I...just a second..."

She slumps against him, falling unconscious, arms limp at her sides. Zelgadis catches her just before she slips onto the ground with a pink tinge to his blue cheeks.

After exchanging a glance with him, Link decides now is not the time to tease Zelgadis (and besides, he would probably freak out it if it were him).

The chimera remains calm and quiet as he says, "We can't afford to waste any more time. We have to start moving."

"What are we going to do about her, though?" Zelda asks.

Zelgadis glances down at the redhead, and an emotion Link can't quite put to name flashes in his eyes. "I'll carry her until she wakes up, but that means that you two will have to deal with the monsters. Sorry."

Zelda purses her lips. She lets out a breath of exasperation and holds out a hand to him.

Zelgadis tilts his head slightly in confusion.

"I'm not only good with a bow, you know. Let me borrow your sword," she orders.

He looks much more hesitant than he did when Link asked to look at it, and almost protective. "Princess, as much as I respect you and wish to help you out in this, my sword is a...a very special gift from someone I knew. I wouldn't trust it in the hands of a stranger. I apologize."

Zelda flares in anger. "I can't defend myself at long-range forever, Zelgadis. I need a different weapon."

"Um, Zelda? If I remember correctly, you used to keep your rapier under your dress. Do you still do that?" Link asks.

And suddenly the princess' face is completely red, and she fumes. "How did you know that when even I forgot?"

"Well, it's just that whenever we fought monsters together you always pulled it out from under your skirt." Link is equally as red, and he rubs the back of his neck nervously.

She hisses, "Turn away, then, Hero of _Perverts_. You too, sword lover."

Both men turn away, and when they turn back she's holding an elegant red sword with a pure gold hilt. It looks more decorative than efficient, but Zelgadis is sure that if she wanted to she could gouge Link's heart out.

"Well, then," she snarls. "Let's be on our way. I'll walk in the back, Link will take the front. You stay with _her_ in-between us, got it?"

Zelgadis' eyes glint with anger. "You know, I get the feeling that you don't like the idea of another girl drawing the attention away from you. I take it we've got a snobby princess here, don't we?"

"You get kind of impatient when an evil king captures you more than once," she replies hotly.

He hisses, "Has anyone ever attacked you though, Princess? Have you ever been harmed when Ganondorf captured you? Or even past that, have you ever been killed by a Mazoku Lord? It hurts, in case you didn't know. It hurts a lot. It's not just a release of all pain, like most people believe. It still hurts after you're dead, too."

"Zel!" Link exclaims. "Cut it out!"

"I should have figured you'd take your princess' side," Zelgadis snaps. "I don't know what anyone sees in her, especially you."

"Zelgadis, listen to me! I get that you're mad, but if we're going to live here, we have to stick together!" the Hylian yells.

Zelgadis turns his glare over to the green-clad hero, who flinches at the heat in it. "No, Link, I think you've got it wrong. I may be angry, but I don't need your help to live here. It's _you_ who needs _me_. Do you remember who put up the protective barriers last night, and kept both of you from harm?" He turns his gaze back to Zelda. "And do you remember who kept those Moblins from getting at you while you were shooting arrows? You two apparently think that—that I haven't been hurting myself the whole time, in order to protect you." His voice breaks for a split second before his anger returns. "Whatever hits that barrier reflects back on me. Those monsters that you saw last night, Link—if I'm correct, there were two Moblins, three Bokoblins, and seventeen Chu-Chus." Link's eyes widen, which tells him that he's right. "Guess who felt it whenever they slammed against that barrier? Not only that, but I even _told_ you, when we fought Veran, that casting certain white magic spells harmed me. _Those barriers are in that category!_"

Link and Zelda's eyes are wide in horror and fear. Zelgadis, the calm and collected one of the group, is yelling at them for what they didn't know. Well...for what the princess didn't know. Link should have remembered...

"Z-Zelgadis..." Link whispers. "I'm sorry; I should have remembered. Please stop it."

The glare he gets for that one comment chills him to the bone.

Eventually Zelda, with tears streaming down her face, chokes out, "I'm sorry, Zelgadis, I never realized how special she is to you, and I shouldn't have acted so snotty. Just...please, we really do need you, and I didn't know that whatever happened to those barriers reflected on you. I...I don't like it when you're angry. It's...terrifying..."

Zelgadis' temper is far from calmed, but apparently the urge to move on pulls his thoughtful self back.

His eyes soften just a little, and he looks down at Lina again. Suddenly tears begin to trickle down his face. He tries to hide it by turning away, but Link can see his shoulders shaking violently. With a shaky voice, Zelgadis whispers, "Levitation."

The redhead floats out of his hands and into the air, remaining suspended there as, without a single word, they begin to travel down the path.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Chapter 5. Have fun reading, yada yada yada, bad things happen, as usual, please review. I'm extremely desperate!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers or the Legend of Zelda.**

**CAVE OF THE ANCIENTS: CHAPTER 5.**

"Look out," Zelgadis says quietly, drawing his blade and holding it out in front of Zelda's head. Something ricochets off of the steel seconds later, making a ringing sound that echoes for miles.

As the princess crouches down to observe it, Zelgadis glances over at Lina, who is still unconscious. It's been almost two hours now, and his other two companions aren't helping matters. The monsters keep getting stronger and stronger the closer they get to the castle. Things such as Darknuts and baby Dodongos have started attacking them, and it's getting harder to hold Lina out of harm's way and still attack at the same time.

"A bullet," Zelgadis says when Zelda holds up the small metal piece questioningly. "I've used them before; they're dangerous, extremely so, and could punch straight through your skull. I've found that lizards in particular are sensitive to them."

Although he's still hostile towards them, his information and protection has proved helpful in terms of things from his world. They've found that things from Zelgadis' world have appeared in Lorule, like demons and even low-level mazoku, most likely because of the portals rapidly appearing. In the last couple hours, the few portals that have appeared in front of them have had demons come through and then were immediately destroyed.

"How are we supposed to...?" Link breathes.

Zelda holds up a hand to Zelgadis. "For something like this, I can use Nayru's Love on the both of us. You don't have to do anything."

He breathes a sigh of relief as Zelda chants under her breath, and suddenly pale blue light surrounds both she and Link in the form of a diamond. Shuddering at the form it takes, she says, "Come on, let's get going. If we continue like this, we should make it by dusk."

"If that's the case, we would have to camp out there beside the castle for the night, where a barrier might not be safe enough. It's never a good idea to go somewhere like that at night," Zelgadis mutters.

Link looks confused. "I've gone inside dungeons during the middle of the night before."

"Were you rested?"

A nervous laugh. "Well, no, not completely."

"Then we'll camp about a mile from the castle, and in the morning we'll—Lina is starting to wake up." Zelgadis slowly releases his Levitation spell and gently lowers the redhead to the ground, settling her into a position in which she is sitting up, resting against one of his arms. As she begins to stir, he whispers, "Lina, are you okay?"

The first syllable of his name forms on her lips as she opens one of her eyes and stares at him. "Z-Zelgadis...still in Lorule?"

He gives her a smirk and nods, holding out his other hand to help her up. She takes it and stumbles a little, but refuses to fall on top of him again and gives a great sigh. "Well, that was embarrassing." She turns to look at Link and Zelda before saying perkily, "I don't think we've been properly introduced yet. My name is Lina, Lina Inverse!"

"I am princess Zelda, and this is Link, the Hero of Time," Zelda says, looking sheepish. "I-I'm sorry for any rude actions earlier. I admit I did not like you very much at first."

Lina gives her a laugh and an almost gentle slap on the back. "Oh, it's fine. I didn't like you much at first either, but apparently you're nicer than you look. So, Mister Hero." Lina turns to look at Link. "You can talk, right?"

Link forces a nervous laugh. "Yes, I can talk. I just prefer not to most of the time."

"We need to move on," Zelgadis insists. "Lina, can you walk, and are you able to fight? Swords are preferred."

The fiery redhead nods, drawing her sword. "But, um, can I ask why they're surrounded by floating blue crystals?"

"Bullets," Zelgadis replies. After that, Lina makes sure to keep a tiny little wind barrier around her head.

* * *

At dusk, and to Lina's dismay, they're still miles away from even the bottom of the mountain on which the castle lies.

Zelda heaves a sigh. "It appears we'll have to travel on for now, and stop when we have to." With slight unease in her features, the princess glances at Zelgadis questioningly. He shrugs.

As the Hylians move a few paces ahead, Zelgadis purses his lips, wondering how to start this.

"Lina," he begins. "Would it be okay if you put up the barriers tonight?"

She looks at him as if he's grown an extra head. "Well, if you desperately need me to. Is there a reason?"

He looks almost scared to tell her why. He is about to answer but then shakes his head and says, "I'm sorry, Lina. I-I'll tell you when I feel it's a good time, okay?"

He swears he can see Link's ears prick slightly, as though he is intrigued and confused by how his friend is acting. Lina stares at him, perplexed, before sighing in resignation and muttering, "If it's that important, then yeah, sure. I'll put up the barriers."

Barely two miles from where they started, they settle down after a particularly long brawl against quite a few Darknuts. All of them are quite exhausted, but still willing to put up with a constant watch all night. This time, Zelgadis wants to start out with a watch, agreeing to actually switch with Link, unlike the first two nights, in which both of them took turns keeping watch the entire night and decreased their strength as a whole over time.

True, their swings are slower and their blows are weaker, as both Zelda and Lina have noticed. The fatigue and simple sleeplessness are weakening them, and that is why both females counter their argument and insist that they should keep watch. At first they're met with resistance, but that's until Link finally gives in, and so Zelgadis has to give in as well. The Hylian has always loved his sleep...

Lina, while putting up her barriers, discusses a few topics with Zelda as the two men fall asleep. Together they speak of what they could be facing, what is most likely to happen. Really, it's like a bonding of sisters. They didn't like each other at first, but to Lina it's like the little sister she never had, and to Zelda it feels as though she _belongs _somewhere, that someone can treat her as an equal, without any awkwardness tied in-between.

Truly, Lina Inverse is an amazing and powerful woman, no matter how weak she came off as. Her spirit is unbreakable, and her resolve, if possible, is even stronger. The only thing Zelda can imagine defeating her is defeat itself. Were she to lose, she wouldn't lose because of whatever felled her, it would be the fact that someone failed her.

And as they exchange their stories, Zelda realizes that Lina has only been felled once, a couple years ago, when one of her companions was kidnapped and she was unable to save him. Just before that, when one of her strongest spells failed, possibly weakened her to the point of breaking.

Still, Lina is unmistakably strong and simply carries an air of strength and spirit about her. She doesn't even have to tell you her name for you to get the impression that not only is she strong, she's dangerous. That Zelda can tell from her wild red hair, and the light glinting in her eyes. When the princess of Hyrule comments about that light, Lina laughs.

"I've heard that before, actually." The redhead clears her throat and quotes, "'That light in your eyes. That is a light in the eyes of one who has never known despair. Come, let us walk the path of destruction together.'"

"Who was that from?" Zelda asks. "Shakespeare?"

"The evil Demon Lord Shabranigdo himself. Or rather, the ghost of a seventh of the evil Demon Lord Shabranigdo himself," she corrects herself with an even larger smile. She's about to say something else when a crash against the shield makes her cry out, putting her hand to her chest. Her breathing quickens, and she turns to search through the darkness for the cause of her pain. "Lighting!"

A ball of light rises into the air above them, illuminating the immediate area. The two men in the near vicinity shoot up from the ground at Lina's cry, and Link rushes over. "Are you two alright?"

Zelgadis, however, like the women, narrows his eyes at something hiding in the darkness. Adding his own light to Lina's, the monster becomes visible. But at the same time...it doesn't look quite human, and not until Zelda and Link yell a name do the other two know who it is.

"Ganondorf!"

Red hair blazes just a shade darker than Lina's, falling far past his shoulders. His vomit-green skin somehow makes him even more menacing. But perhaps the most terrifying feature of all is his scorching amber eyes, blazing brighter than any sun, and blazing with hate.

Pointed at Link, who stands petrified, unable to move. Never has he seen these eyes so filled with hate, even when Ganondorf was in his beast form, which was utterly fueled by hatred. Zelgadis brings him back to reality, yelling, "Link, snap out of it and move Zelda back behind you!"

Immediately Link takes Zelda by the arm and pulls her slightly behind him.

He doesn't expect Ganondorf to start cackling. "You fool! You think I'm after the princess? How well that went last time!"

He continues to roar with laughter until Zelgadis suddenly shouts, "Ra-Tilt!"

Brilliant, pale blue light flows from his hands straight into Ganondorf...but when it fades, there's absolutely nothing there. "It didn't work," Lina whispers. She glances back at them and cries, "Zelgadis! Look out!"

"I have found it wise to take you out first," Ganondorf whispers from just behind Zelgadis. The chimera whips around quicker than lightning, but somehow, Ganondorf is faster. He holds out a hand almost lazily, and a ball of lightning knocks Zelgadis to the ground.

"L-Lina...get the others out of here..." he breathes. Blood pools onto the ground, and his eyes roll back in his head.

"Ya heard him, Link! Let's get out of here!" Lina screams, eyes wide and worried. She takes command as leader, if only for a few moments.

Ganondorf's eyes narrow, and he glares at Link before declaring, "I sense a lack of power from you. You no longer possess the power of the Triforce, which means you are now useless to me. Then again, captives always work well."

Before the almost-blonde Hylian can react, Ganondorf uses the same spell he used on Zelgadis, and both men lay unconscious on the ground.

Lina and Zelda are already running before Ganondorf can get at them, too.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This is a short chapter, basically telling of Link and Zelgadis in the dungeons of Ganondorf's castle and what's happening to them. The next chapter won't be at the same point in time and will tell of Lina and Zelda's travels.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers or Legend of Zelda.**

**CAVE OF THE ANCIENTS: CHAPTER 6.**

"Zelgadis? Are you alright?" Link asks, trying with great difficulty to sit up and check over his companion as they both regain consciousness.

"I'm fine, Link," Zelgadis replies softly, already towering above his companion. "How are you?"

Link ignores the question to stare at some point that the chimera can't see at first. Following Link's gaze, the chimera glances down at it and lets out a sigh. "Oh, that. It's fine. No need for worry."

It just so happens to be Zelgadis' bloodstained shirt, which is beige everywhere but at his side, where, there's a red stain from a wound.

"Do you want to clean off your shirt, then? I mean, unless you'd like to walk around, carrying your own blood with you..." Link offers.

Zelgadis shakes his head. "Would you want to expose skin such as mine for something as trivial as blood? Now, look around."

And Link does. He sees nothing but blackness and shadow until Zelgadis casts a Lighting spell. The Hylian doesn't make a single sound, but a spark of surprise flashes in his eyes. The bright side is that they're inside the castle, but the downside is that they're in a cell. It's one of those dank prison cells, pitch black aside from Zelgadis' floating ball of light.

All of a sudden, something...some _things_...shriek, piercing the air louder than any singular Redead's scream. And it hits Zelgadis like a bomb. He can't hear anything but the screams as his ears tune in to the multiple voices wailing, crying out, paralyzing. And from those many, oh, so many disembodied voices come just two sentences.

"HE IS FURIOUS THIS TIME. YOU, WHO BEARS THE TRIFORCE, ARE GOING TO DIE."

The screams and shrieks continue to wail the same two sentences, over and over again. Zelgadis feels as though he's going mad, and when the screams stop he collapses to the ground, blacking out immediately.

* * *

"Zelgadis! Zelgadis! Are you okay? What happened? What did they say?"

Link's very persistent and very annoying voice cuts through the empty silence of unconsciousness.

"Zelgadis, please! Wake up! Seriously!"

A sense of urgency enters his mind and pushes away the grogginess. He needs to tell Link, and then maybe ask for some lore about Hyrule.

"Seriously, Zel. You're starting to worry me."

Zelgadis' eyes flicker open to see the green-clad hero standing above him. Before Link can ask anything, Zelgadis whispers, "What's the Triforce?"

Link looks extremely surprised before his face becomes grim. "What did they say?"

With his ears still ringing painfully and giving him an extreme headache, Zelgadis murmurs, "'He is furious this time. You, who bears the Triforce, are going to die.'"

"No way." Link's voice is filled with horror and fear. "But...I don't understand this at all..."

"What's the Triforce?" Zelgadis prompts, sitting up and immediately regretting it. His mind swims, and for a moment he slips back into unconsciousness.

When he recovers, back to laying on the ground, Link wastes no time in getting to his explanation. "Once, hundreds of thousands of years ago, three goddesses came down the land. Their names were Din, Nayru, and Farore. Din brought to us the earth, Farore brought life to the world, and Nayru gave us law and the power of thought. When they left, behind them was a great golden triangle that represented each of their aspects. The top of the triangle, Power, represented Din. The bottom left, Wisdom, represented Nayru. Finally, the bottom right was Courage, and represented Farore. Is that all?" Link imitates Zelgadis from what seems like so long ago.

"Yes, Link-sensei," he replies obediently, with a smirk on his face. Then it becomes solemn. "What would the Triforce have to do with one of us, though?"

"Back when I was resisting against Ganondorf, I somehow obtained the Triforce of Courage," he says. "How soon did you...y'know, pass out last night?"

Zelgadis winces and looks self-conscious. "It was only a few seconds afterwards, and Ganondorf had just started talking again."

Link heaves a sigh. "Well, the thing that's bugging me about what the Redeads said is 'you, who bears the Triforce.' Ganondorf said that he couldn't sense the power of the Triforce in me anymore, and that I was practically useless to him now. But if I no longer have the power of the Triforce on my side, then that means..."

Zelgadis' mind goes blank for a second. "That's impossible," he murmurs after his brain processes Link's implied thought.

"I know how to check," the Hylian says. "See, the Triforce appears on a male's left hand and on a woman's right. You're a guy, right?"

Zelgadis lets out a breath. "If you're saying that I should remove my glove to check for a triangle on the back of my hand, I'm going to laugh," he grumbles.

"Well, I'm saying you should remove your glove to check for a triangle on the back of your hand. So go ahead," Link replies.

Zelgadis isn't amused. He rolls his eyes before another thought occurs to him. "Link. Remember when Ganondorf said he wasn't after the princess this time? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe it just means that Zelda's meant to be the hero this time," he replies offhandedly. "Seriously, though. Take off the glove."

Zelgadis sighs and complies, removing the finger-less glove on his left hand and letting Link inspect it, although he looks somewhat ruffled.

Imagine his surprise when Link's eyes bug out. "What is it?" Zelgadis asks hurriedly.

"Remember when I told you each position of each virtue on the triangle?"

"Ye...yes...why?"

Link refuses to say more and releases Zelgadis' hand, allowing him to look at it. On the back of his hand is, indeed, the symbol of the Triforce, with a golden outline. However, the bottom left triangle is shaded with the same gold.

"I have...the Triforce of Wisdom..." he whispers. "But that means that Princess Zelda no longer has the Triforce, doesn't it? That's the theory I was starting to hint at, Link!"

Link is apparently still trying to shake off his shock. "Then where's the Triforce of Courage, if the Triforce of Power is still with Ganondorf?"

* * *

"Hurry up, fools!"

Zelgadis winces as a particularly arrogant and impatient Bokoblin jabs him in his injured side with a Moblin's spear. Her (yes, her) persistent hissing has grown even more infuriating than a Redead's screams.

Link, beside him, doesn't understand the Bokoblin but knows that her words aren't kindly, like an old woman's should be. Still, he's curious, so he keeps asking Zelgadis.

"She's calling us moldy-brained Moblins," the chimera replies after another stab from the sharp spear. He's sure at this point that his wound has reopened, as he feels blood oozing from his stone skin. After more hissing and growling, before Link can ask, Zelgadis shakes his head.

"You don't want to know."

From what he understands, the two of them are getting the honor of seeing Ganondorf himself.

And then being killed, of course, but let's overlook that for now, shall we? Now, where was I...?

Ah, yes.

Link and Zelgadis travel down the same straight, narrow, dank passage for what feels like hours and maybe days. Both are tired and hungry; Ganondorf has done a good job in making sure that both of them are too weak to fight back.

By now it's been weeks, not counting how long they may have been in this passageway. At first Zelgadis was better off, since he didn't need as much food, but as time wore on Link turned out to be stronger and more persistent. The Redeads just got louder and louder each day, and Zelgadis' barriers were hardly keeping the sound out now. Aside from that, Zelgadis' side wound had just healed, which took a lot out of him, and now the granny Bokoblin is prodding at it, reopening it probably just because she knows it's there.

Maybe we should go back to just a few days ago, when Link found out about this wound...

* * *

"Zel, you've been wearing that shirt for days now. It's probably best to clean it off, at least, so you don't look like you're weak or anything..."

Link has been urging for him to clean the shirt off for days now ("It could get infected or something! Clean the shirt!"), and finally Zelgadis mutters acceptance. He detaches the talisman which holds his cloak on his shoulders and, in one fluid motion, removes his shirt, then casting an Aqua Create to clean it off. He also uses some other spell to bleach it.

"Holy Goddess Din. What did Ganondorf do to you?" Link gasps, staring at the chimera's midsection openly.

Truth be told, it is gruesome. His stone skin has been shredded open, to say the least. The affected part is crimson in color, contrasting with his blue skin, and the very edges are tinged a deep, blackish-purple color.

"I've had worse happen, Link. I'm fine."

"Has it ever been long-term like this, with no treatment whatsoever?!" the Hylian demands, worry forcing him to panic and fret.

Zelgadis lets out a light sigh, using a warm wind spell on his now-cleaned shirt. "Look, Link, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but what good would it do? You said yourself that you don't have any more health potions, and my healing spells simply won't work on it. I'll have to wait for it to mend itself, and you fretting over my well-being wouldn't have helped matters anyway."

The green-clad hero groans. "I'm serious, Zelgadis! One of these days you'll kill yourself with logic like that! Couldn't we have done something?"

"No."

And it's true. The wound truly can't be healed by magic, and magic won't help dress it, either. It must have something to do with Ganondorf...

* * *

"We're here," the granny Bokoblin spits, stabbing Zelgadis one more time and Link, too, for good measure. She then casts away the spear and knocks on the door.

"Come in," Ganondorf's voice booms. He sounds almost happy.

Zelgadis thinks he knows why when they walk in the door to greet him.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm sorry for not updating. My Internet was down and the few times it came back up I was obsessed with looking at silly pictures online and re-watching the first season of Pokemon (naturally, I used my Internet to do so...) Um...yeah.**

**Anyway, please R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda or Slayers.**

**CAVE OF THE ANCIENTS: CHAPTER 07.**

-Two weeks previously...-

Lina and Zelda have already traveled for a days on end, heading towards the castle. Somehow, Ganondorf got there a week in advance, even with two unconscious men to cart along with him.

"How are we going to save them?" Zelda whispers hoarsely. Lina is surprised. The princess hasn't spoken at all ever since Link and Zelgadis were captured. At first Lina was a little worried, because whenever she tried speaking to Zelda, she didn't reply. Eventually, however, she got used to it and they just traveled silently.

Now, they are ever closer to the castle, but it's like the geography is against them. Whenever they go to sleep and put barriers up, it seems that the hill beside them moved to another place and the castle moved even farther away.

Nevertheless, the two girls continued onward, and now they're so close that they can practically see the spiders crawling up on the walls.

The problem?

Getting in.

-Two weeks later...-

As the sounds of night take over, Lina yawns. It's her night to keep watch, and Zelda is already asleep. As her watch is coming to a close, Lina begins to prepare for bed, removing her cloak with tired fingers and starting to pull off her gloves.

She shrieks at what she sees, and Zelda, who has been groggily getting up, jolts awake and asks, "What's wrong?!"

"Z-Zelda...look."

Zelda takes Lina's hand and looks at it before she has the same reaction.

Because on the back of Lina's hand is a triangle, with the lower right corner shaded in.

Lina calls, "Zelda! Come look! I found what looks like the throne room!"

The redhead is currently flying far above ground. She lifted Zelda up to one of the towers and went off on her own search higher up.

The princess of Hyrule replies, "Well, let me see!"

Lina hurries down and takes Zelda's hand, pulling her up. In the time it takes them to get situated, they realize that the room has gained four people.

One is Ganondorf, looking far calmer than he did on the night he invaded their camp.

And one of the people isn't really a person. It's a Bokoblin, who is prodding two men with a spear.

Lina and Zelda, ever the strange pair, both gasp when they realize that these two men are Link and Zelgadis. Link is barely standing, and Zelgadis is bleeding from his side, down to one knee and trying to get back up.

"That's it," Lina growls. "No one hurts my friends, even new ones, without answering to me first."

"You go, girl," Zelda responds, charging up a spell.

Lina kicks the window, and it shatters upon impact. The redhead lands inside and rolls away just as Zelda releases her attack on...Link and Zelgadis?

When Lina looks at the princess funny, Zelda gestures to the men, who are both looking over in surprise. But from Zelgadis' relieved expression and Link's smile, Lina guesses that it was a healing spell.

Ganondorf only laughs. "Well, of course I couldn't kill them until the Triforce of Courage arrived, you fools. Your two princes would have been guaranteed safe until you arrived. Well, aside from maybe starving to death, but still."

Lina gives him a lopsided smile and tosses two apples to Link without losing eye contact with the Gerudo King. "You're a fool, G-man. Maybe this is why you only ended up with the Triforce of Power."

"Ah, I see Wisdom has educated you, Little Red." Lina scowls at this nickname, and Ganondorf smiles cruelly. "Really, I never thought that someone from another land would end up with a piece of the Triforce. Who has the last, Little Red?"

"First off, Ginger-Beard," Lina responds, shaking her finger in his face accusingly. "I'm no kid, like Link was when you attacked him by the bridge. You're a coward," she spits, "that's what it is. Those goddesses, no matter how foolish they were by leaving something so powerful here, are not stupid enough to give you all of it. That's why they separated it. Second, if I knew who had the last part of the Triforce, would I tell you?"

"Ah, so you don't know."

"I didn't say that, Ginger-Beard."

Ganondorf draws his enormous sword and fingers the edge of the blade. "I know that, Little Red, but if you did know, would you not have glanced his way?" The Gerudo King's own eyes glance off to the side, where the Bokoblin lays dead and the two men over there flinch away from his gaze, both wincing.

Lina raises an eyebrow. "'His' way? Are you saying that one of those men has the Triforce of Wisdom? I mean, Zel, there, couldn't even beat a seventeen-year-old at a chess match, and Link isn't exactly...smart."

Both of them look offended at her comment, but Ganondorf speaks before they can.

"I may not have been blessed with Wisdom, my dear little redhead, but I'm no idiot."

"No, you're not an idiot. You're just stupid," Lina replies. "There's a difference."

The man shakes his head with a smirk. "Listen, Little Red. Can you not hear the harp, singing its sweet melody all throughout the kingdom? If I can hear it, then you can, too. Wisdom is playing for its other two pieces."

Ganondorf's golden eyes narrow directly on Zelgadis' gaze, and the chimera keeps his emotionless gaze on the Gerudo's, without flinching.

"Only humans? Wouldn't that mean that I couldn't possibly have the Triforce? There are only four actual humans in this room," Zelgadis states, rolling his eyes. "I'm sure we all know that."

"I'm no idiot, like I said before. I've changed. Now, princess, I'm sure you can tell Zelly-poo the rules behind the blessing of the Triforce. Your unimportant Hero may not live much longer otherwise."

Zelda bites her lip, then glances at Link and confesses, "W-well...Ganondorf is right. You don't have to be fully human. After all, we Hylians are part elf."

An evil grin crosses Ganondorf's features, and before anyone can do anything his sword is crossing the room in Link's direction.

"I didn't say his life was guaranteed."

But then a metallic ring fills the air, followed by the clang of a sword falling to the ground and a heavy thump. Ganondorf, Lina, and Zelda look over to where the sword should have sliced clean through Link's chest.

Instead they find it and Zelgadis, laying on the ground.

Link cries, "Zel...! Why did you...?"

Judging by the ringing that is still echoing in their ears, the wound isn't as deep as it would have been had Zelgadis not stepped over.

Still, the only thing the four conscious people notice is the blood pouring out of his chest, leaking onto the ground under him, and Zelgadis' face.

Completely emotionless.

"No..." Lina whispers. "No...Zelgadis!"

In a flash, she's by his side, pulling her gloves off and tossing them to the wind, which also reveals the mark on the back of her hand.

"Zelgadis! Come on! Listen to me!" she wails. "Mono Volt!"

Blue electricity shoots through her fingertips.

"That's one way to do CPR," Ganondorf observes cheerfully.

Zelda watches Lina's frantic attempts to get Zelgadis' heart pumping again.

Lina doesn't even look up to see what's going on, but after multiple tries with Mono Volt, she figures she's doing more harm than good. Finally the Triforce-blessed redhead does mouth-to-mouth. She pulls away and watches him for a full minute.

With tears beginning to stream down her cheeks, Lina lets out a heartbreaking sob and places her hand on Zelgadis' cheek.

"Zelgadis..."

"Aw, how touching," Ganondorf grumbles. "But can we finally get to that epic duel that usually occurs when Power and Courage are in the same room?"

"Money in the jar!" Zelda shrieks, pointing to a jar in the corner that says, 'Epic Jar.'

Although he grumbles about it, he places five-hundred Rupees in the jar and says, "Fine, after that epic duel-"

"MONEY IN THE JAR!"

Placing more money in the jar, he finishes, "Fine! Little Red, if you win, you get the money and possibly the entire Triforce, and if I win, I get a refund, the entire Triforce, and all of Hyrule. Better?"

Money signs and blazing fire in her eyes, Lina replies, "It's on, Ginger-Beard."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Well, I meant to inform you guys in the last chapter (sorry) but this is...the last chapter. It's also extremely short, but it's basically just recap, the very ending. And when you guys read through this, keep in mind that yes, I do know that Ganondorf doesn't die that easily. I felt lazy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers or Legend of Zelda.**

**CAVE OF THE ANCIENTS: Chapter Eight.**

"Burst Rondo!"

Lina's offensive spell blasts Ganondorf off his feet, and he looks mildly surprised. "Your attacks are strong, but there's no wonder you don't have the Triforce of Wisdom, Little Red."

"Shut up, Ganondork!" Lina screeches, bounding off to the side and shooting yet another Fireball at him.

"You'll never get anywhere with an attack like that," the Gerudo King says, slapping her away, luckily with the flat of his blade. Even so, the redhead winces and struggles to get up.

Zelda blasts Ganondorf from the side with magic, and Lina is back on her feet. Her gaze travels to Zelgadis and fills with tears before she looks back at Ganondorf's advance and dodges once again.

"We'll never get anywhere if we continue like this," Ganondorf says arrogantly.

"Which is why I'm doing this. Zelda, cover me," Lina calls to the princess. Said princess shoots multiple attacks at Ganondorf, and when he spots Lina again she's blasting a major attack at him from the side, carrying both Link and Zelgadis in an air bubble.

"Dragon Slave!"

The castle falls completely to pieces, and Lina flees as fast as she can with the two men while Zelda uses Farore's Wind to follow them.

They can't believe it when he doesn't come back out of the castle and they return to see that he impaled himself on his own sword.

"There's no way it was that easy," Lina whispers. She steps towards Ganondorf and nudges him with her foot, then backs away. He doesn't stir.

Link stares on in silence, waiting for Ganondorf to wake up and kill someone else. He bites his lip and glances towards Zelgadis.

But Ganondorf still doesn't move, and Lina finally exclaims, "Was that really it? That's ridiculous! I expected some serious battle, like, something worthwhile, y'know? But really! I thought Ganondorf was supposed to be tough!"

"He is, Lina. Step back. I'll check," Zelda says, closing her eyes and pulling her blade from under her skirt. She holds it with both hands, gently, and closes her eyes. The sword plunges into the ground and the princess of Hyrule opens her eyes again.

"He really is dead." The princess flinches for a moment. "Wait! Zelgadis is still alive!"

"What?!" both Lina and Link cry, their gazes meeting for just a split second.

Zelda explains, "His life force is still there, but barely. And I know how to bring him back. Let's go."

* * *

After two hours of walking on foot, following Zelda, they reach the entrance to a shallow cave.

"This is it?" Lina asks, disappointed and worried.

"Wait for it."

They don't have to wait long, as soon a glow emits from the cavern and three floating spirits appear, simple wisps of blue fire. Lina stares at them in wonder as they expand into almost human forms.

The one in the center stands tall, and her cloak billows in a breeze that isn't there. Her feet are bare, and she wears a skirt that billows along with her cloak. Her hair is short, cut at the nape of her neck, and her eyes glow liquid gold despite the blue haze that coats the rest of her body. The other two look to be servants for who is obviously their ruler.

"You have called upon us," she states, her voice cold and carrying the regal air of royalty. "What is your need, Princess of Hyrule?"

Gesturing to Zelgadis, Zelda replies, "He is nearly dead. I wish for you to bring him back."

"What is your reason?"

"He was murdered by Ganondorf in protection of Link, the Hero of Time, and this woman, Lina Inverse, is his closest companion. Is that reason enough, O' Sage of Shadow?"

"Wait just one second," Lina says, glancing between them with a scowl on her face. "Who are you, and where are we?"

The misty figure cracks a smile. "You are in the Cave of the Ancients, Bearer of Courage. As for my name, I am Hilda. Once, I was of youth, but then chaos spread across our world and I met Zelda. I grew ill with a sickness that you very nearly suffered, aside from your high resistance to magical effects and tough immune system."

"Cave...of the Ancients? Who are the Ancients?" Link asks, ignoring Hilda's statement to Lina.

"They are the ones who created Hyrule and Lorule, so long ago. Together, yet alone, these two worlds thrived. All was brought to destruction when they met." This last sentence comes out as a hiss from the Lorulean princess, and Zelda lowers her gaze.

"But, Hilda," the other princess says hurriedly. "We don't have much time. Please, he fought for us when he didn't have to. Hilda, I'm begging you. Save his life, please."

She sighs. "Very well, Zelda."

A blue glow fills the area, and then Hilda and her servants are gone. But Zelgadis stirs, and the wound in his chest heals completely.

"Zelgadis!" Lina cries, hugging him tightly.

He gives her a lopsided smile of his own and replies, "Yeah, Lina, I love you too."

The redhead blushes and stammers, "W-wh-what are you t-t-talking ab-"

She is interrupted when Zelgadis' lips meet her own and Zelda covers Link's eyes. After this he smiles at her again and the cavern begins to glow a pale green.

"Our time together is up," Zelda says to the both of them. "We'll return to our world and you'll return to yours. Shall we visit sometime?"

"I'm looking forward to it!" Lina replies, giving the princess a one-armed hug and giving Link a sisterly kiss on the cheek before returning to Zelgadis.

The chimera waves a victory sign at them as, in a flash of light, they disappear.

* * *

"Link?" Zelda calls as she walks into the room, rocking a baby in her arms. "I received a letter from Lina. They're visiting soon. She told me that they have a surprise."

The green-clad Hylian turns to smile at his wife. "What else could they surprise us with? They've already told us about a wedding, a baby, and another piece of Shabranigdo vanquished. What else is there?"

The queen shrugs and allows her child to stick her pointer finger in his tiny mouth. She glances out the window and says, "They're here."

Two specks in the air approach from afar, and Link opens the door to the balcony. As they land, he notices that Lina, too, is rocking a child, though not as young as their own, and...

"No way," Link exclaims. "You really found a cure?"

Zelgadis' hair is now dark brown, and he has a pale complexion. "And you'll never guess how we did it."

"We're just about to have lunch. Care to join us?" Zelda offers as she places her child in a crib.

"Always," Lina replies cheerfully, and together they head to the dining room.


End file.
